Realisations!
by dees1
Summary: An undercover assignment leads Clark and Lois to inadvertently reveal their secret and buried feelings for each other in an unexpected way. Things get more complicated when they return to Smallville and their respective partners.
1. Chapter 1

**Pairing:****Clark/Lois,****some****Clana****and****Gabriel/Lois**

**Spoilers:****Set****in****season****7...****after****the****events****of****Wrath****but****then****goes****a/u****with****some****call-backs.****I****have****also****chosen****to****ignore****the****horrific****Clana****barn****scene****at****the****beginning****of****Wrath**** – ****it****never****happened.**

**Plot:****An****undercover****assignment****leads****Clark****and****Lois****to****inadvertently****reveal****their****secret****and****buried****feelings****for****each****other****in****an****unexpected****way.****Things****get****more****complicated****when****they****return****to****Smallville****and****their****respective****partners.**

**A/N:****Thanks****to****EmLouD**

Prologue

Grant Gabriel was looking out for the perfect double act for his latest expose, but no one could match up to his criteria for the assignment, until that one morning when he came across the mostly intensely bickering couple he had ever seen – Lois and Clark in the copy room.

Clark and Lois were seasoned bickerers and had been since the day she moved into the farm three years ago. Their fights were a daily occurrence, if not more often. That particular day, World War III had been triggered by the mystery of who had left the top of the toothpaste the night before.

"Lois, admit it. You came in drunk, decided to clean your teeth and forgot to put the top on. Is it so hard for you to be honest and own up?" Clark suggested.

"Clark, I was too drunk to clean my teeth so it must have been you. "

"It wasn't me." He held his hand up. "I still can't work out what you were doing at the farm anyway when you live at the Talon."

"I told you that I left my key in the taxi and Chloe was staying at Jimmy's apartment. What is the problem anyway? " she asked defensively.

"There is no problem." Clark replied.

"Maybe Lana popped home from Nell's to come and clean her teeth and then left."

Clark grimaced at her. "You are so hysterical, Lois."

Their spat was suddenly interrupted by a round of applause. They both turned to see Grant entering the room. "You two are hilarious."

Clark was just about to explain that he had come to see Chloe, but Grant stopped him. "Clark, have you ever thought about journalism?"

Clark looked at him, puzzled. "No way! It is not for me."

"Lois, I need you to go to LA this afternoon to investigate something which could lead to one of the most sensational exposes this paper has ever seen."

Her face lit. "Ok, I'll go and pack." She replied with enthusiasm.

Grant stopped her. "There is one condition. I need to send someone with you."

"Who?"

"Clark!" he replied.

"Mr Grant, April Fool's Day is not for a couple of months yet." Clark laughed nervously.

"I am not kidding. This could be one of the biggest breaks for Lois and could propel her into the big-time but she cannot do it without you."

Lois looked at him with her pleading expression which worked every time. "Please Clark. I would do it for you."

"I can't. What can I tell Lana?" he asked.

"She is not due back until tomorrow. Just tell her the truth. I am sure she will understand."

"It's not a good time to drop a bombshell like this." He explained.

Lois sighed. "Smallville, is it ever a good time with you and Lana."

Clark knew she was not going to take no for an answer. "Ok, but just for a few days."

Grant smiled. "Ok, that's great. I have to go and pull some strings. It is not that easy to get people on the most watched chat show in daytime TV." He smiled.

Clark panicked. "What did you say?"

"You two are going to be guests on _Lies__Never__Pay_" Grant explained. "I have sources who have told me it is fixed, and I want to expose the scandal. I will leave you to sort things out and I will book the flights. You leave at 3pm."

Lois started jumping up and down with excitement. "This is going to be so good."

On the other hand, Clark sank into the chair behind him. "Or maybe not!" he sighed.

Lois came out of Grant's office and readjusted her clothes after their quick fumble and found Clark talking to Jimmy. She was buzzing from this trip even though it was with Clark.

"Clark, we only have a few hours. Could you drive me back to the Talon on your way home to pack." Lois said excitedly.

"I have been thinking maybe this is not such a good idea." Clark replied nervously, knowing he was not going to get anywhere with Lois judging by the excitement on her face.

"Don't even bother trying to worm your way out of this one, Smallville. This means so much to me, would you want to disappoint me." Her eyes were pleading with this one. "Grant says we won't even make it on the show anyway. We are just there to go undercover and unearth the scandal before we tape ."

Clark knew he had no choice if he did not want the wrath of Lois for the next year. "Ok, but I am not going on the show."

Clark never really watched TV and had never seen daytime TV. "So what is this ' Lies Never Pay' all about."

"I have only seen it a few times but the premise of the show is to put the most dysfunctional couples face to face and attach them to a lie detector. They then get to ask each other five questions. If they do not set the lie detector off, they get $100,000. No one has ever won the show because they deliberately pick the most bickering couples in the world." Lois explained.

"We are perfect for the show." Clark managed a chuckle. "Why don't contestants just tell the truth and win the money."

"Because they are all confident that they can beat the machine and refuse to admit to their cheating."

"So does Grant think the machine is rigged?" Clark asked.  
>"No he thinks that they use actors to pose as contestants making the Jerry Springer Show look tame." Lois smiled.<p>

"The ratings are through the roof because viewers love car-crash TV but they might not feel that way when they discover the contestants do not even know each other prior to the show." She continued.

"So what do we have to do?" Clark was puzzled.

"We are not using aliases, so if we can get on, it proves the show does not use real couples."

"But how do we avoid going on the show? Surely we need to go on as a couple in order to uncover the false contestants."

"Don't worry, even if we do, there is a 2 week gap between taping and airing of the show, due to the sheer volumes of litigations the show's producers have been faced with recently. The delay in airing gives them a chance to pull an episode if they need to. No one will ever see us."

"In that case let's get there and blow this wide open." He smiled.

Just then Clark's cell rang. "It's Lana. Excuse me." He gave a small sigh as if he was preparing for a battle and walked to the corner of the bullpen.

Lois could not help but hear some of what he was saying.

_Lana,__why__are__you__blaming__me?__You__couldn__'__t__handle__them__...Fine,__if__that__'__s__the__way__you__feel,__stay__at__Nell__'__s.__You__practically__live__there__anyway__...Don__'__t__turn__this__around__on__me,__you__knew__what__the__limitations__were__when__you__moved__in._

She saw Clark hang up so she busied herself with her computer so he would not know she had overheard. Sometimes she wondered why he bothered with Lana. There was nothing Lois could put her finger on but whenever she was at the farm, there seemed to be an atmosphere between Lana and Clark.

"Are you ok?" she looked up, noticing the preoccupation on his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Lana said it is no problem me helping you." He put on a false smile. "Let's go and pack."

Lois and Clark drove to the Talon, and as she climbed out, he turned to her. "Lois, I'll pick you up in 45 mins. If you are not ready we will miss the flight."

"Ok, I'd better hurry."

Clark drove home and was packed in 10 seconds, but decided to slow down and have a drink before he left so not to make Lois suspicious. He thought it would be nice having someone to share his secret with and when Lana found out he was actually pleased. However it had made the gap between them wider.

It was as though Lana felt she had to compete with his powers when in actual fact, all Clark wanted to do with her was act normal and forget he was different. But Lana never let him forget especially it came to his refusal to have an intimate relationship with her for fear of hurting her.

As much as he tried to deny it to himself, the quiet voice of doubt in his head about his relationship with Lana was beginning to get louder and he knew he would have to face up to these feelings at some point soon.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the ring of his cell. It was Lois asking where he was. He looked at his watch and almost keeled over.

"Lois, you have only had 30 mins." He announced in shock.

He went to pick her up and they headed to the airport. "Lois, I still cannot believe you are ready in half an hour."

"I told Chloe to go home and pack for me." She said as she pointed at the two suitcases for him to carry downstairs. He picked them up pretending they were heavy; in fact he wondered if a normal person would be able to carry them.

Clark and Lois drove off to see what was waiting for them in LA. Little did they realise how much their lives would change over the next few days...

Clark spent the next hour on the way to the airport hearing all about how fabulous journalism was, but instead of boring him, he was fascinated by Lois's enthusiasm. Even Chloe couldn't match her obsession.

Clark could not help but stare at Lois when she was in full flow. She was like a breath of fresh air, helping him keep his mind off his trouble with Lana. Even so his mind soon drifted back to the barn three nights ago when Lana told him she would kill to keep Clark safe. That idea did not sit well with Clark; in some ways her admission had freaked him out. He had trouble working out where the super powered Lana had started and where the real Lana had finished.

It had been after his refusal to tell Lana that he would love her no matter what, that she had fled to Nell's for a few days although this had now turned into a week.

"Penny for your thoughts." Lois snapped him out of his thoughts.

"I was just thinking. Sorry Lois, I was listening to you, well most of the time anyway."

"Let me guess, you were thinking about Lana and her recent dabbling with diesel fumes." Lois joked trying to make light of the situation.

"That is not funny, Lois." Clark glared at her.

"Neither was being thrown through a window but even I can see the funny side of it." Lois replied.

"I know, how are you now?" he asked concerned.

"My ego is more bruised than my body. What was up with Lana anyway? Chloe said it was some kind of temporary effects of meteor rocks on the farm."

"Yeah, that's true. We found some when we were out riding." Clark replied honestly even though it was not the whole truth.

"So why is she at Nell's?" Lois asked.

Clark looked pensive. "She needed time out."

"She seems to need a lot of time out since she moved in with you. I mean I have lived with you and it was not so bad, well apart from the fact you can be strange at times." Her mouth was engaging before her brain.

Clark looked at her. "We are going through a rough patch at the moment, but nothing we won't survive."

"Ok..." Lois smiled. "Let's get booked in for this flight."

An hour later, they were in-flight on their way to LA. "Have you been to LA before?" Lois asked.

"Nope, but I have always wanted to. You?"

"I went when I was about 12 years old with an aunt. It was one of the few times dad let me have some fun. No doubt it has changed in the past 10 years."

"No doubt. Where are we staying?" Clark asked.

"I don't know yet. Grant says all the info will be contained in the welcome pack we get when we are picked up."

"We're getting picked up in a limo." Clark asked.

"No, probably just a taxi. There should be a driver waiting in the arrival hall."

"What do you make of Grant? There is something about him I cannot put my finger on." Clark commented.

"He is a great guy if you get to know him." Lois stated.

"Just how well do you know him?" Clark probed, his interest sparked by the way she answered the previous question, as though he was hiding something.

She looked exasperated. "What are you suggesting?"

"Nothing, it is just the way you talk about him. Are you interested in him?"

"What are you, my dad? If you must know, I do find him very cute." She smiled.

He looked at her. "You're seeing him, aren't you?"

"Clark, yes I see him...as do all the employees at the Daily Planet. Can we please talk about something else?" She asked.

"Ok, if that is what you want. Please don't get hurt. There is something about him I don't like." He replied.

"You can talk. Lana hurts you every day and you let her because you are so blind."

"What are you talking about? We love each other." Clark defended his relationship. "She would never hurt me."

Lois smiled. "Why do you sound like you are trying to convince yourself?"

"I won't mention Grant again if you don't bring up me and Lana again." He offered his hand.

She shook it. "Ok, I promise. It is not like either of us care what the other one does with their private life."

He knew he shouldn't, but for some reason he did care...a lot.

They arrived and were met by a man holding up a sign saying Kent/Lane. He drove them to a small but pleasant looking hotel on the outskirts of LA.

Approaching the desk, Lois smiled at the woman behind it. "Hi, I am Lois Lane. I believe we have a reservation."

"Do you want a one or two rooms?" the lady asked.

"Two, if you don't mind. He snores dreadfully." She dug her elbow in his side to get him to play along.

The woman looked up and smiled. "Do you know I hear that same excuse from 90% of LNP contestants? I don't think anyone will ever win that show. They pick the most incompatible couples."

Lois smiled. "Clark and I should do well."

They headed to their respective rooms which were at opposite ends of the corridor.

He showed her to her room. "Are you going to meet me for dinner in an hour?" he asked.

"We might as well since the Network are picking up the tab." Lois smiled.

Two hours later, there was a knock at Clark's door. He assumed it would be Lois.

He opened the door to see a young man standing at the door, looking nervous. "Mr Kent, can we talk for a moment. There has been a huge mistake..."


	2. Chapter 2

"Sorry, but who are you?" Clark asked.

"I'm Greg. I used to work as a runner at the studios where the show is filmed. Can I come in?"

"Ok.. so what has this got to do with me, Greg."

"I am the person who contacted Mr Gabriel about the actors being used to play contestants. It now appears I was deliberately fed false information so I would make Mr Gabriel look stupid. The network has recently been bought by LuthorCorp and they seem to have a vendetta against your boss and I am sure it is a front for dodgy dealings." Greg explained. "I have now left so do not know anymore."

"Thanks for letting me know. Now we can stop ourselves going on the show and making a fool of ourselves. "

"Maybe you should still go on. An expose about the Luthor's could be more damaging."

Clark weighed up the suggestion. "But now you think the show is genuine, so we will make fools of ourselves when all our questions turn out to be lies."

Greg smiled. "The rules have changed and instead of answering all the questions right to win $100000, you get $10,000 per correct answer. Anyway the show is on its last legs as there has been a mass exodus of staff as soon as word got out about the Luthor's taking over and trying to cut everyone's wages. Even if you tape the show, it will never air. Anyway it is your choice. Good luck!"

Greg left Clark pondering what to do. He knew he had to tell Lois, who had just arrived.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"Come in and I will tell you all about it." Clark smiled.

He told her about what Greg had said. "So we are still going on? We could win some money as well as blow Luthorcorp's cover."

"I knew you would say that Lois. We need to discuss what questions we are going to ask each other."

"There is no point. Contestants are given a list of what to ask based on questionnaire sheets that we have filled in prior to the show."

"Lois, I never filled a form in."

She grinned. "I know you didn't. I did it for you."

He sighed. "Gee thanks...that was so thoughtful of you."

They headed to dinner at the hotel restaurant and were busy eating when Clark's phone rang. He answered it.

"Hi Lana..."

His face changed. "Why, what is this all about? What do I need to do for you to change your mind?"

Lois was annoyed and decided to get involved against her better judgement. She grabbed a pen and wrote on a napkin. She then showed it to him

Clark read the message -  
><em><br>Get__a__backbone,__Smallville!_

Clark glared at her, but then smiled. "You know what Lana. I am not going to take the blame for what happened. You make your own choices in life and if moving out is one of them, well so be it."

Clark hung up and looked across the table at an applauding Lois. "Well done, Clark!"

"It still doesn't make me feel any better that she is leaving me, or taking a short break as she puts it."

"You are better off without her. What is she blaming you for now?" Lois asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." He replied. "Can we just get on with dinner?"

Lois and Clark were so busy chatting that Lois had not even noticed the amount she had drunk because the waiters were so discreet in refilling in her glass. Clark had managed a few glasses, but whether he had one glass or one bottle made no difference to him because it never affected him. Pity the same could not be said for Lois.

"I think you have drunk a little too much." Clark said as he watched her droop over the table.

"You are such a spoil sport, Clark." She laughed. "I don't think you know how to have fun."

"Yes I do, but not your type of fun."

"Let's go back to your room." He told her.

Lois started to play with the rim of her glass with her finger. "You're a dark horse. " she slurred. "I don't think my boyfriend would be too pleased if he knew you were making a move on me."

"Lois, I am going to take you to your room, and then go back to my room. I knew you were seeing Grant." He replied, annoyed at the thought. He led her to the elevator and pressed the button to their floor.

"So what if I am. Are you jealous because I have someone and you don't?" She announced but then saw the hurt look on his face. "Oh, I am so sorry for that. I was out of order."

"It's ok. I forgive you. The alcohol haze is affecting your thinking." He smiled as he put his arm around her back to steady her.

She felt a pleasant tingle across her back as his hands made contact with her skin. "Do that again, Smallville!" She groaned.

He moved his hand across the small of her back again, making her groan even louder. "God Clark. Your touch is electrifying. If your hands can make me feel like that, what would your lips feel like?" She pressed the stop button on the elevator and blocked him from accessing it.

"I am not going to press start until you kiss me." She said, teasing him.

"Lois, you are not in any fit state to know what you want."

"Yes, I do know. I want your lips on mine and you will not be going anywhere until you do." She blackmailed him,

He could have lifted Lois out of the way but decided it was easier to do as she wanted. He bent over and gently kissed her on the lips. He pulled away almost immediately but did not count on her hands reaching up to the back of his head, pulling him in again for a second assault.

Clark tried to pull away again but once their lips made contact again, he could not help himself. He had a flashback to the alley where he had kissed her as Green Arrow. He had thought the chemistry between the two of them back then had been a one-off, but this exchange was confirming it was no fluke.  
>Suddenly they were tossed apart by the movement of the elevator. It got to their floor where a member of staff was waiting.<p>

"I am sorry, but it seems there was a problem with the elevator. Rest assured we will be reporting it immediately." The man confirmed.

Lois and Clark smiled and waited for the man to leave. "What has just happened?" Clark asked.

"The elevator broke down. What else? I will see you in the morning. The car is picking us up at 8.30am." Lois announced coldly and walked off, not letting Clark see the tears in her eyes...

Clark had a restless night; he could not get his kiss with Lois out of his head. As much as he tried to concentrate on Lana, his thoughts kept coming back to her. He ate alone the following morning, realising that she was avoiding him due to her regrets of last night. He knew she was dating Grant.

When the car arrived to pick them up, Lois brushed past him and got in the back. He climbed in next to her.

"Lois, can we talk?"

"Nothing to talk about Clark! Let's get this show over and done with and head back to Metropolis where you can get back to your perfect life with Lana and I will continue to date my boss." She announced.

"Something happened between us last night, but if you can't face up to it, let's leave it."

Her face changed and she took her dark glasses off. Her eyes betrayed the combination of the lack of sleep, emotions and the hangover.

"Clark, I can't let myself think about so please leave it." She pleaded with him.

Clark nodded and decided to leave it until she was ready to talk about it. "Ok... are you ready for this show?"

"As ready as will ever be...let's try and win some cash." She smiled for the first time that morning, giving him a glimpse of the old Lois.

When they arrived at the studio, they were ushered to the Green Room. Thinking they would be the only couple there, they were shocked to see another dozen couples there, all with one thing in common – their bickering.

"You are up at 10am." A stagehand shouted at them. "We have 12 shows to film today so please concentrate so we don't have reshoot."

"He had has a sense of humour bypass." Lois whispered to Clark.

"I hope these questions aren't too difficult."

"Just tell the truth and we could win some cash. I mean even when you say you are seeing someone else and have no feelings for me, it won't bother me and we get to win the money. " Lois laughed.

Clark suddenly began to feel apprehensive. What happened if the machine picked up any feelings he had hidden from her. He just hoped his Kryptonian physiology would keep the machine from going off, although he did have human responses to stress. He knew he would just have to wait and see.

Twenty minutes later they were strapped to the machines on the stage. The annoying smug presenter bounded on stage in front of the cameras.

The audience clapped and cheered, mainly because a man holding a board told them to.

"Hi, I'm Michael Underwood, your host on Lies Never Pay." The cheers got louder.

"Today we have Lois Lane and Clark Kent, who have been dating for 2 years and have on their profile that they would never cheat on each other. Isn't that what they all say?" Michael tried to sound funny, making the audience laugh.

Michael continued. "We have an announcement, the rules have changed. The contestants now get $10000 for each truthful answer and they get to choose their last question."

"Right Lois, could you ask Clark the first question?"

"Ok, here goes. She opened the first envelope. Clark...You know I like Whitesnake, do you really like them?"

Clark smiled at her. "Yes I do."

Lois glared at him curious why he was lying. She waited for the alarm to go off but it never did.

"So you actually agree with your girlfriend on something." Michael said smugly. "$10,000 for you!"

Clark asked his first question. "You know I like to wear plaid, do you like me wearing it?"

"No..." Lois replied, sure of her answer. The alarm sounded.

"Oh...Looks like Lois has a secret plaid fetish." Michael announced to the audience.

Lois was about to argue but then admitted maybe she did like plaid especially when Clark was wearing it.

"Second question." Lois continued. "Do you find me attractive?"

Without hesitation, Clark answered the question. "Yes I always have."

Lois shifted uncomfortably in her chair and waited for the alarm, but again it never came. "$10,000"

"My second question is...are you still attracted to me." Clark asked, curious as to what the answer would be.

Lois smiled. "Yes I am." She was starting to enjoy the roars of the crowd when the alarm went off so she lied...and waited...and waited.

"Another $10,000. That is $30,000 you have won so far."

"Third question...Clark, do you think we will get married?"

He knew he had to answer honestly to win more money. "No, I don't." The alarm sounded almost immediately. What the hell, he thought to himself. Was he in major denial?

Lois's face was starting to show concern.

"Looks like you have upset Lois." Michael egged Clark on.

Clark asked Lois the same question, but she said she did think they would get married eventually. She wasn't bothered about the money, she was enjoying the act too much. Her opinion soon changed when the lie detector said she was telling the truth.

"Question four..." she paused and looked nervous as she saw the question. "Have you had sex with anyone else in the past 2 years."

He looked at her. "No I haven't." He replied clearly.

She realised Clark was obviously not bothered about winning the money or he would not have lied. The machine did not react.

"Oh, so Clark has been a good boy." Michael replied.

Lois was horrified, her mind being battered by what that meant. Lana and Clark hadn't slept together in over two years. She couldn't understand because she remembered vividly the gossip from Chloe the morning Clark and Lana had been sprung coming from his room by his parents. But then realised that was over two years ago.

Clark composed himself and asked her the same question. She was so caught up in what the bombshell she had just learnt, that she did not know what to say. She decided to be truthful. "No, I haven't."

Clark almost fell off his seat when the lie detector showed she was being truthful. He was convinced that she and Oliver would have made it to that point; going by the way they acted around one another.

"This is a turn up for the books." Michael seemed almost disappointed by the lack of scandal. "Ok...one last question. You get to choose it. Anything you really want to know about each other."

Lois thought for a moment and then decided to test her new found theory. "Clark, was it you who kissed me in the alley on the night of 11th January 2007?"

"No it wasn't." He announced, confident if he stayed calm, he could beat the machine.

The alarm beeped loudly.

"What a strange question..." Michael looked puzzled. "But looks like Clark is telling lies."

Lois smiled at Clark. She knew she had recognised the kiss from last night.

Clark's cover was blown but he didn't care anymore. In fact he wanted to probe her further while he had the chance. "Were you hoping it was me in the alley?" He teased her with his final question.

Her expression stayed the same. "Yes, I hoped it was you."

The alarm did not bleep...

"Congratulations, you have won...$70,000." The crowd roared. Lois took off the lie detector and went over to hug the approaching Clark. He was caught up in the moment, picking her up and spinning her around, then he kissed her.

"Where do we go from here?" she whispered in his ear...

The head rush from being contestants on a chat show surrounded by hundreds of screaming and clapping audience members disappeared the moment Clark and Lois were ushered out of the studio to make way for the next contestants.

The journey back to the hotel consisted of awkward silences and a refusal to acknowledge the bombshells which had just been exchanged between them.

They headed to the hotel reception to grab their keys, both looking puzzled when they were only handed one key.

"What's with this?" Lois asked the receptionist.

"We have heard about your outstanding performance on the show and have upgraded you to the honeymoon suite." She said waiting for the looks of joy on the couple's faces, but it never came.

Clark intervened. "It's ok, we were fine with the other rooms. It will be too much bother to move our stuff."

"Already done!" the lady smiled. "We have just booked out those rooms, and the hotel is full. That suite is the only room."

Lois grabbed the key. "Thanks for that!"

"That's not all. Here is a voucher for an all expenses paid meal in the most expensive restaurant in town. It is one of the show's sponsors."

Lois felt hungry all of a sudden so took the envelope gratefully. "Thanks." She said as she ushered Clark towards the lift.

"What was all that about?" he asked once the doors were closed.

"Look, we have no choice. Our flight is not leaving until the morning and we might as well enjoy the hospitality. We also need to discuss how we are going to spend our winnings." She replied. "I know what I am going to do – take Grant away for a romantic weekend."

Clark could see the diversion signs written all over her face. He wanted to talk about what had gone on during the show but he could see she was not going to be forthcoming.

"That's nice." He commented.

Lois opened the door to see a romantic wonderland complete with champagne and a check for $70,000 sitting on the table at the end of the bed.

"This is nice. Maybe I should bring Grant here for our first time." Lois said smugly, irritating Clark. "Or maybe you could bring Lana here for your first time in ages."

Clark's look said it all. If ever a look could make a person feel guilty, this was it. Lois excused herself. "I am just going to the bathroom."

Clark sat on the bed, contemplating whether he had made the worst decision ever agreeing to go on the show. Lois had admitted feelings for him and he had reciprocated by admitting things to her, he had never admitted openly to anyone.

Lois came out the bathroom with a determined look on her face. "I need to know why you did it."

"Did what?" Clark asked, looking at her as though she was talking a foreign language.

"You know!"

"No, I don't." He patted her bed for her to sit next to him.

She shook her head. "Why did you pretend to be Green Arrow so I wouldn't know about Oliver's secret identity?"

"I did a favour for a friend." He replied.

"But I was your friend and you did me no favours. If I had known he was Green Arrow then I would have accepted it without question and we would still be together."

"Lois, don't blame me for this one. Oliver made the conscious decision to hide his identity from you."

"He didn't trust me you mean."

"I am sure he would trust you but you have to understand, he did it to protect you from getting hurt."

"How did you find out? Why did he tell you?"

"He didn't tell me. I found out by accident." Clark explained but left out the detail of how he found out.

"I loved him Clark, and knowing he was the Green Arrow would have made me love him more." Lois said with such sincerity.

He could see Lois meant every word. He wondered why Lana could not be so selfless. For Lana, his powers were a barrier which she could not and probably would never overcome. Deep down he could see how resentful she was. He knew Lois would never be like that. She would embrace his powers.

"He would be lucky to have you at his side. " Clark announced.

"Thanks for that Smallville, and...if it is any consolation you are a much better kisser than Oliver." She smirked.

"I don't know what to say. Maybe you were just caught up in the moment. I think I am a below average kisser." He teased her.

"No way. How do you think I knew it was you? It was after you kissed me in the elevator last night. You pack one hell of a punch in those lips of yours."

"Do you think so?" Clark replied, flirting with her.

"I know so, but to make sure." She walked up to him and kissed him. She had assumed the kiss would be brief but Clark had other ideas.

What started off a tentative kiss was soon satisfying so much more than her curiosity . The sensation of his kiss made her heart race and every nerve ending in her body tingle. She felt his tongue, probing through her lips so she parted them ever so slightly, letting him explore her mouth.

Clark's thoughts were spiralling out of control, wonder where this sudden explosion of feelings would take them. Eventually Clark pulled back so he could see her expression. He stared at her, their faces just inches apart. He could feel her panting breath on his face and for the first time ever he felt as though he could go the further with Lois than he had ever been with Lana with his powers, safe in the knowledge that he would never hurt her.

Question was where would this lead...


	3. Chapter 3

Their clinch was interrupted by the sound of Lois's cell. She looked at Clark, smiled and then went over to her bag to grab her phone.

"Hi Grant!" she exclaimed. "...there have been a few developments we need to discuss when I get back. Okay...I will see you tomorrow afternoon at the Planet."

"What developments?" Clark asked as she hung up.

"You know, about the Luthor Vendetta against him." She replied without thinking.

Clark tried not to look too disappointed. "I thought you meant about us?"

She looked at him for a few seconds. "I think we need to work out what is happening between us before I tell Grant."

"I mean what are you going to tell Lana when she comes back?" Lois asked.

"Lana probably isn't coming back. We have broken up." Clark did not seem very upset.

"Since when? Why?"

"It doesn't matter. You know Lana and I had too many issues to work through. I have finally accepted that we would not work."

Lois was shocked at his change in attitude towards Lana. "So what makes you think that we will be any different."

"Lois, for the first time in my life, I have the need to be honest with someone. Lana always pushed me to reveal my secrets and I never felt I could. It is different with you because I know you will accept me for who I really am."

"You're worrying me." She smiled. "You're not a serial killer, are you?"

"How did you guess? No, something much more surprising." He replied.

"Mr Kent...I am intrigued. What could it be? God, I'm starving." She said rubbing her stomach.

"Before I tell you, can we take advantage of this free meal?" Clark suggested. "Otherwise you will probably end up eating me."

They walked the few blocks to the restaurant, Lois was linked to Clark's arm. When they got there, they waited in the short queue to get in. In front of them, there was a man looking shifty and nervous. Lois nudged Clark, moving his attention to the man.

"Are you ok?" he asked, as he saw the man looking around as if he was looking for something.

"Yeah, I am just waiting for my girlfriend. I am going to propose to her tonight. I have it all planned." He announced proudly.

Lois smiled. "Ah that is so sweet. You must really love her."

"Yeah I do. It has taken me months to save up for a table here."

Lois looked at Clark, grabbed the voucher out of his hand. "Here, take these. We won't be needing them." She handed them to the man who stood there with his mouth gaping when he realised what they were.

She smiled, took hold of Clark's hand and led him away down the street.

As soon as they had walked a few steps, he stopped her. "What was that all about?" he asked puzzled.

"Be honest Clark. Is that really the sort of place you like eating? I saw and smelt the most appetising burger restaurant a block back." She looked at him, waiting for his annoyed reaction.

His expression turned into a beaming smile. "I love your spontaneity. I hate those posh places. I always feel so stifled by the atmosphere that I never enjoy my food."

They found a booth in the quiet part of the restaurant and ordered loads of food to share and a few beers. "This is more like it?" Clark said as he sat back and relaxed, loosening the tie on his shirt.

"So, where were we?" she asked.

"I was going to tell you my earth shattering secret but it can wait until we have eaten our burgers." He smiled.

"I have never seen you so carefree and chilled out. You always seem to have the weight of the world of your shoulders. Can I ask one thing?"

"You're not gay, are you? Not that it would matter if you were." She asked.

"No, I'm not. What makes you say that?"

"It's just..."

"Come on, just say it!" Clark asked curious what gave Lois that impression.

"OK...Lana is gorgeous and you have been living with her for the past three months, and your sex life is zilch, nada..."

Clark blushed. "It is a bit complicated."

"Just tell me to mind my own business."

"I could ask the same question of you and Oliver? I was shocked when you said the same."

"You know I am a major commitment phobe. Basically I was never ready." Lois could not make eye contact with him. "How about you?"

"Ok...I am an alien from another planet and was worried I would hurt her if we did it." Clark announced.

Lois burst out in laughter. "Smallville, you should write a novel with an imagination like that. Guess that means you are not going to tell me why?"

Clark smiled. "Well if you don't want to believe me, that's your choice...but it is the only answer you are getting."

Lois giggled again. "Oh, here come our burgers." She licked her lips.

A few minutes later Clark and Lois both had ketchup dripping down their chins. They were in fits of laughter. Clark sat back and took in the gorgeous woman sitting opposite. He wondered how he had missed her. He had never felt so happy and relaxed in ages.

Lois noticed his gazes. "Have I got some more sauce on my face?"

He looked serious for a moment. "No, I was just admiring your beauty."

She went all bashful. "Stop it...Smallville. I will start to blush."

"That makes you even cuter especially when you start biting the inside of the bottom lip when you are nervous, which by the way you are doing now."

She returned his stare. "You are very observant."

"I mean every word." He announced slowly.

"So what are we going to do after this? Go back to the hotel and go crazy." She winked. "But I forgot you can't because you are an alien. By the way,which planet are you from...Mars?"

"No but my friend is. The planet I come from is no longer there as it exploded twenty years ago. It's called Krypton."

"So how did you get to Earth?" she smiled, enjoying this nonsense conversation there were having. "Don't tell me...you teleported here."

"Lois, have you been watching too many sci-fi movies. No, I travelled the old fashioned way...in a spaceship."

Lois was becoming unsettled by the sincerity of his answers. "Smallville, if I didn't know any better I would say you are telling the truth."

She studied his face. "Oh...my...god."

"You what?" Lois shouted, shocked by what she was hearing. "You're kidding right?"

Clark just looked across the table at her. He had just told her the biggest secret of his life and here she was giving Grant Gabriel as good as she got. He had interrupted their conversation at the most annoying moment.

Lois hung up with a worried look on her face. "We need to get back to Kansas and sort things out."

"What's happened?"

"The show is airing in two days. Apparently the audience feedback was amazing and they want to air to see if they can get the highest ratings ever with the new format. We were the first ones to do the new format." She explained.

"So what can we do about it?" Clark suddenly looked concerned. "We can't get back tonight anyway as there are no more flights out."

"How fast can you run?" Lois asked.

"We can't... Grant would be too suspicious if we did not take the flight in the morning." Clark relaxed back in his chair. "What is the worst thing that happens if it airs."

She looked at him. "Our cover will be blown."

"Which cover? Our cover as journalists or our relationship?" He inquired interested to know.

She paused for a second. "Both...I need to tell Grant what is happening."

"Ok...I understand that but can you not tell him tomorrow when we get back."

"I suppose so." She smiled. "Anyway back to the important stuff...what were we talking about before that cell call interrupted us. Oh yeah...I remember. It had something to do with little green men."

He gave her a funny face. "I am not a little green man. I am 6ft 3. No seriously, what's going through your mind."

Her expression turned serious. "Honestly you want to know."

He nodded and waited for the rejection.

"I was thinking if you can kiss like you did in the alley that night, what else can you do." She smiled with a glint in her eye. "Since we are not going back tonight, maybe we could find out..."

He grinned. "You know I said I could not run back to Kansas, I will make an exception for the short distance to the hotel."

Within a minute they were kissing passionately at the end of the bed in their room. He pulled apart. "Lois, are you sure about this? Deep down I know I could never hurt you, but are you willing to take the risk."

She looked deep into his eyes. "Clark, life is a risk!" With that she dragged him down onto the bed.

When Clark woke up next morning, he found Lois draped over his chest. He could feel her warm breath on his face. He could have stared at her forever but he knew that they needed to get a move on as the plane left in two hours.

"Lo..." he said gently brushing his hand gently across her face. "You need to wake up."

She opened her eyes slowly. "If it is before 12 noon, I don't want to know. " then she closed her eyes again and went back to sleep.

"Lo, the plane leaves in 2 hours."

She groaned, opening her eyes slowly until they had a chance to adjust to the sunlight streaming in the window. She looked up at him. "Morning." She smiled sweetly remembering the events of the night before.

"Hi." He said as he kissed her forehead. "I wish we could stay in bed for a while but it's not gonna happen. Do you want a shower first?" he asked.

"Well since we are running short of time..." she replied, but before she could finish her sentence, she found herself standing opposite Clark in the bathrrom.

She laughed at him. "Maybe I was going to suggest that I would not bother with the shower..."

He pushed her into the shower cubicle...

Two hours later they were en route to Metropolis. "So when do we land?" Clark asked.

"About 2pm. Is Grant sending a car?" he continued.

"No Chloe said she would pick us up. She wants to know all about our trip since we left so abruptly." Lois added.

"That will be nice. So what is the official line...about us?"

"I think last night was a mistake and we need to forget it ever happened." Lois replied, but wish she hadn't. She saw the look of complete and utter devastation appearing on his face.

She grabbed his arm. "Clark, I was kidding. You don't have to worry about me. I know I normally run at the first sign of intimacy. But.,,this is different for me. After last night, you won't be getting rid of me that easily."

Clark smiled. "That is what I was hoping for."

"Anyway do we agree to keep quiet about us until I have talked to Grant and you have told Lana?"

He grimaced at that thought. "I guess I do owe her an explanation. I will ring her at Nell's when we get back."

"What about the show?"

"I think we need to ring the producers and explain that we were undercover reporters and that it would not be such a good idea to go ahead and screen the show." Lois suggested.

"Ok, let's do that. The last thing they will want is any scandal especially with the future of the show being up in the air at the moment."

Lois put her head on Clark's shoulder and fell back asleep. He just looked at her. She looked so beautifully and peaceful; in fact it was at that moment that he knew she was the one for him, and there would never be anyone else.

The plane landed on time, but it took an hour to get through the baggage collection.

Lois noticed Chloe immediately with a big smile on her face, but then she saw the dark haired figure standing next to her.

It was Lana...

The moment Lois saw Lana, she moved away from Clark a small way. What the hell was she doing here...she asked herself. She felt herself going into freefall and there was nothing she could do to stop herself.

"Hi Chloe...Lana." Lois said through almost gritted teeth trying to sound happy to see them both.

She looked over to Clark expecting to see the usual look he gave whenever Lana was in the vicinity, but there was something she never expected to see...a glimpse of disinterest and indifference.

"Hi Lana." He said flatly. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I thought I would surprise you."

Just then, a voice shouted out. "Car waiting for Ms Lane." The four of them all turned around simultaneously to see a man dressed as a chauffeur holding a sign for Lois.

Lois looked at Clark. "I'll go and see what he wants." She disappeared for a few seconds.

"So Lana, what are you doing here?"

Lana frowned at him. "I came to give you a second chance but with that frosty welcome you have just given me, I wonder why I am bothering." She paused for a second. "No doubt it will be the jet-lag putting you in a mood."

Chloe watched the spat between the two of them and tried to work out what was different; something had changed between Lana and Clark but she could not put her finger on it. In fact she was quite enjoying the power shift between her two friends. It seemed Clark had grown a backbone since Chloe last saw him; even stranger when she considered she had only seen him two days ago. So what had changed?

Lois soon returned from her talk with the chauffeur. "I have a ride back to Smallville. Grant arranged it so I will see you back in town. Does anyone want a lift?" She asked, trying not to make it obvious that she hoped Clark would accept one.

"Chloe will!" Lana shouted up before anyone else could say anything.

Chloe looked at Lana but knew she had no choice. "Ok, see you later." She did not mind too much because she had figured out exactly what was going on.

Lois was preoccupied as the limo drove Chloe and her on the one hour trip.

"So have you got anything you would like to confess?" Chloe asked.

Lois looked uncomfortable. "What do you mean?"

"I am not stupid. Clark's attitude to Lana has changed since you went away and it is obvious that you are the cause of that." Chloe smiled.

"Chloe, you are obsessed with these conspiracy theories. What makes you say something happened?" Lois was determined not to lie.

"The guilt is written all over your face."

"What should I have to feel guilty about? Lana and Clark were broken up anyway." Lois offered.

"Lo, I know you don't like the way Lana treats Clark, but I thought you said you would never meddle in their relationship."

"I didn't turn him against Lana; he had finally seen the light anyway." Lois replied.

"I knew he would eventually but I bet you helped him along with your opinions." Chloe smirked.

"Opinions!" Then it clicked. Chloe was completely on the wrong track with her suspicions. "I know I shouldn't have got involved but I just couldn't help myself." Lois was not exactly lying, but was not being truthful either.

"I don't blame you to be honest. I have come close to getting involved a few times but i know if I did, Clark would accuse me of being jealous. What he does not realise is that I only have eyes for Jimmy these days." She smiled, thinking of her boyfriend.

"Jimmy is sweet." Lois replied, although she was not sure her cousin was meant to spend her life with him. It made her wonder about her own future with Clark and whether they could make a go of it.

"So tell me about what this top secret mission you were on? I asked Grant but he would not spill."

"Like you said, it's top secret so I can't tell you."

"What confuses me is why Clark was roped in by Grant? Were you two undercover?" Chloe tried to delve further.

"Chloe, I promise that I will answer all your questions in a few days."

"Sounds intriguing. I can't wait. I wonder if Clark and Lana are back together yet?" Chloe sighed.

Lana and Clark were driving back to the farm. "Clark, I have been thinking where the problems in our relationship lies – the lack of intimacy."

Clark almost laughed out loud then interrupted her. "So you think if we deal with that issue, we will be back on track. It hasn't struck you that there might be something else amiss with us."

Lana was puzzled. "Like what?"

"Our whole relationship!" Clark exclaimed. "The past few days have given me the chance to re-evaluate our future."

"You can't be breaking up with me." Lana asked in disbelief

"I think, deep down, even you know that is the only option. I have fallen out of love with you, Lana. I will cherish what we had, but I think it is better if we move forward separately. All those arguments and break-ups over the years tells me it will never work."

Lana got defensive. "Clark, your secret was the only issue. You destroyed any chance we had when you decided not to tell me."

Clark stayed calm. "Maybe I am to blame, maybe I'm not. The issue here is not to work out who to blame, but to accept we are over and then move on."

"I will move back into the Talon with Chloe. Lois can move in with you. After all you have put me through, I think you deserve the punishment of putting up with Lois for a while." Lana snapped.

Clark struggled not to show any enthusiasm at the suggestion of Lois moving in...


	4. Chapter 4

An hour or so after Lana stormed off, Clark heard the familiar sound of Lois's car pull up at the farmhouse. He went out to meet her.

Lois got out and headed towards Clark who was waiting for her with a beaming smile. He walked over and hugged her.

"I missed you." he smiled, kissing her gently.

"It's only been a few hours." she laughed. "But for the record – ditto. By the way, you must have really pissed Lana off, she has just spent the last hour ranting about you breaking up with her. She thinks sending me will punish you."

They sat down on the porch swing. "Okay. Having you here is such torture. I am sure I will be brave and cope." he replied sarcastically.

"So how do you feel finally breaking it off with Lana?" she asked curiously.

"Relieved actually. Are you going to tell Grant about us? I would hate for him to find out by watching the show."

"The show...I forgot about that. We have to stop it airing. I do not want everyone knowing our secrets."

"Grant may be able to pull it." Clark suggested.

"I had a better idea. Why don't you zoom up the studio and pull the tapes."

"Are you kidding? In a building with so many cameras. Not a good plan. I guess if it airs, it airs. It's not like we are having an affair."

"Well strictly speaking I am cheating on Grant because I have not broke up with him." Lois put on a guilty look. "So we'd better not sleep together until I speak to him tomorrow."

He gave her a knowing look. "I wasn't planning on getting much sleep, were you?"

Lois seemed preoccupied, as they swung on a porch swing. "Clark, how sturdy is this swing?"

"It is fine to sit on." Clark replied with a perplexed look on his face. "Why do you ask?"

She pushed him down.

The following day, Lois woke up with a start. "Clark, wake up. It's 7.45am. I need to be in work in 15 mins."

"Hurry up and have a quick shower and I will run you in." he smiled.

She finally made it into the office at 8.05am. "You're five minutes late, Ms Lane. This will be going on your record." Grant said smugly in an authoritative tone. "Can I see you in my office in ten minutes."

Lois sighed as she opened the office door, knowing she needed to break the news to him.

She left the door open. "Close the door." Grant mouthed to her as he got up from his desk. She had hoped to leave the door open.

"Grant, can we talk?" Lois suggested as he approached her with that look in his eye.

"I have a better idea. Let's forget the talking. I missed you. By the way I didn't congratulate you on your TV debut. It was very convincing but how did you know?"

"Know what? Have you seen it?" Lois became flustered.

"Stop playing games. You guessed the game show was fixed otherwise you and Clark would not have come up with those ridiculous answers. You hit it out of the ballpark with your acting skills. Maybe Clark should become a reporter too."

"Is it fixed?"

"Of course it is. How else did you think you would beat the lie detector with your lies? Apparently the producers operate the machine depending on which answer will cause the most controversy."

"Did you know this before you sent me up there?" she asked.

"No, of course not. I only found out last night when I got the copy of the tape. There was also footage from the producers room showing them manipulating the machine..." Grant paused suddenly. "You mean you believed it was true."

"That is what I need to talk to you about." Lois said. "Clark and I are together."

"But how? Why? You fell for those lies."

"He meant every word, Grant, regardless of the machine being fixed or not. I am in love with him and I think I have been for years. I am so sorry to hurt you, but I am not going to lie to you." Lois kissed him on the cheek. "I'm sorry. You are a good man."

"You're making a big mistake." Grant reacted angrily. "You will never be a reporter in this town again. I only gave you the job so I could get you into bed."

That last comment hurt Lois. She knew she was a great journalist and she did not want people to think she got the job because she was dating the boss.

"Whatever Grant, but if people find that out, how do you think it will look for your reputation." Lois fired back and left.

Lois reflected over what her boss had said and was still reeling from the fact the game-show was fixed. When she arrived back at her desk, she found a note from HR to say her employment was terminated without notice. She was not going to let Grant take her career away from her and she needed to stop the show being aired. Who said life would be easy, she said to herself...


	5. Chapter 5

Clark could almost see the steam coming out of Lois's ears when he went to see if she wanted to pick up some late lunch.

She was packing up her desk.

"Lo, what's wrong?" He asked as she flung things into her bag.

"Grant has sacked me." She said loudly so everyone in the bullpen could hear.

"Why?" He asked her puzzled.

"I will tell you over lunch. Just grab those files. Could you take these back to the farm for me?" She whispered in his ear.

"No problem. I will be a few moments." He replied, as he walked out of the office before speeding off.

Minutes later he arrived back and took her hand and led her to the lift. "Come on. We can pick up the rest after lunch. It seems like you need a break." She ushered her in.

She was bright red and started to go off on a rant about the injustice of it all. Clark just took one look at her and kissed her hard. Lois staggered from the force of the kiss and ended up back against the wall. The passion was soon taking her mind off her rant, and she pulled his head in closer to make more contact with his lips. Moments later, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Clark did not wait to react; he scooped her up and headed straight to the farm.

"Clark… how did you read my mind?" She smirked as she pulled him back on to the bed. "Let's skip lunch."

Lois woke after her brief nap to hear Clark downstairs in the kitchen. She got dressed and went down to find him cooking.

He smiled. "Go back to bed…. I was going to bring you some lunch."

"I am up now and as inviting as it sounds I need to come up with a plan to thwart Grant."

"So what was his thinking?" Clark asked curiously as he passed her an orange juice.

"I can see why he was angry. He saw us on the tape and I admitted we were dating and I know that he is probably hurting. He then said that he only gave me a job at the Planet to get me into bed. Anyway I am not angry with him for his reaction but sacking me for this is unforgivable. "

"There must be a way to get your job back."

"Apparently the producers fixed the lie detector to boost ratings so the machine was not working." Lois added.

Clark sat next to her and took her hand. "I don't think either of us needs a machine to tell each other how we really feel. I love you and I know you love me. " he smiled tenderly.

"I know that Clark, but I still feel like Grant has just given me the ultimate put down. Another problem is that the show may air and if it does and the truth comes out about it being fixed, we will be made to look like fools." She looked upset.

"This isn't the real Lois Lane talking! She would never let something like this bother her and she would never give up without a fight."

"You are right but I feel as though I have been kicked in the gut. This reporter thing is in my blood now and I don't want to go back to working on The Inquisitor again." She explained.  
>"We will sort this, I promise."<p>

Just then Chloe and Lana burst in the door in fits of laughter. "You won't believe this. We have just seen you two on a promo for that lie detector show. It is airing tomorrow night and promises to be explosive." Lana chuckled.

"So this is why you were sent undercover?" Chloe asked. "Does Grant like car crash TV?"

Lois and Clark looked at each other in a panic.

"I can tell by the look on your faces that it was a major disaster." Lana exclaimed. "I cannot wait to see it. Let's come over and have a party. Maybe we could sell your autographs at the Talon after the show." She mocked.

"Lana and I will start making the plans." Chloe said as she got up and left with Lana.

"What the hell do we do now?" Lois asked.

"We stop it airing. Let's blow the lid of this show and tell the world it is fixed." He replied, trying to calm her.

The following morning, Clark decided to take another approach and headed up to see Grant whilst Lois was on story at the museum downtown.

He expected to be rejected but Grant asked his secretary to send him in. "Mr Gabriel. Thank you for seeing me."

"I have five minutes before my next meeting, so make it quick."

Clark looked at him, curious as to why he was not shouting at him yet. He had expected Grant to let loose because he had stolen Lois from him, but he looked more hassled than angry.

"I wanted to ask you to give Lois her job back. Whatever has happened between Lois , you and me should not really impact on her job. You know she is one of the best reporters you have and she will make one of the best journalists in the country." Clark announced proudly.

"Look, you are right." Grant was very distracted. "She can have her job back. I just said it in a fit of anger anyway."

Clark was taken aback. "Why would you give in?"

Grant just glared at him. "With all due respect, why come in here and ask for your girlfriend's job back and then when I agree, question my decision. There are more important things going on in my life than Lois."

"Is there any chance I can ask you to pull the show from the air?"

"Mr Kent, in case you haven't noticed, I run a newspaper not a TV Station. Anyway I need some payback for you stealing my girlfriend. How do you think Lana Lang will take it when she finds out that you are dating Lois?" Grant announced as he grabbed his jacket and he headed off. "Now if you will excuse me."

Clark heard Grant's cell ring as he left the office so decided to listen in. There was something more to this.

"I told you never to call me here."

"I am calling the shots here." A very familiar voice replied. Clark wondered what Gabriel would be talking to his arch-enemy about.

"Lex, I told you that I would do it and I will come up with some other way to do this. He has just been in my office actually and pleaded with me to pull the plug on the show."

"I hope you told him where to go. Even if we can't find out his secret, we are going to destroy any chance he has to get back with Lana. I never thought Lois and he would get together in a million years."

"Can you set up another meeting with Lionel for me? I have every right to find out about my father."

"Julian, he doesn't want to know about you. We are better keeping things the way they are."

"Clark.." he heard his voice being called by Lois. "You look a million miles away."

He put his hand up to silence Lois, whilst he tried to zoom his hearing back into the call, but it had ended.

"Lo, this is really complicated. We need to go and have a chat. Can we go for a coffee in the park?"

Clark told Lois about his talk with Grant and the subsequent overheard phone-call.

"So, you're saying that Grant is actually Julian Luthor. I thought he died. "

"Yes, somehow he is. It seems Lex set you and me up hoping he could trick me into revealing my secret. Luckily that never happened. Can we pre-empt the show airing and tell Lana that we are dating? I don't think it is right that she finds out about me from a TV show."

"Ok, no time like the present. I think Chloe and Lana will be at the Talon. Let's go and break the news."

Lana was chatting away to Chloe about the show when they arrived.

"We cannot wait for this show tonight." Chloe said excitedly.

"Chloe, can you come upstairs as I need to talk to you?" Lois asked, leaving Clark and Lana to talk.

"I wonder what all that was about." Lana stated. "So give me a clue about tonight. On a scale of 1-10, how much fallout will there be?"

Clark looked sheepish. "Quite a lot, Lana and I thought you should hear it from me first. I have fallen in love with Lois and we are seeing each other. Before you blame Lois for this, we have had buried feelings for a long time and the show made them surface. I think we both know that you and I are not meant to be. "

"Speak for yourself, Clark. I thought we were IT." She replied angrily.

"If that is the case, why do you spend so much time away at Aunt Nell's, unless of course, it is actually Bruce Wayne you were seeing. I know you have been seeing him."

"How do you know?"

"I came up a few times to surprise you and I have seen you two together. Why can't we just accept that we are not meant to be. Is it serious with Bruce?"

Lana relaxed a little. "It could be for me but I could be yet another woman in a long line of past exes that did not seem to work out with Bruce. "

"So can we leave this as friends? You have been such a big part of my life and I don't want to lose touch with you."

"Of course, we can. I think it will be hard getting used to a life without us being or at least trying to be together, but I am sure we can move forward as friends." Lana explained.

"Lana, can I just ask you if you know anything about Grant Gabriel. It seems like he may be Julian Luthor." He told her.

"Wait a minute, that makes sense now. Some of the things that Lex said seem to fit now. I think you will find that Julian is part of a cloning experiment. Julian definitely died as an infant. I would say Grant is an attempt to recreate the brother he never had."

"Well it seems they were using Grant and this whole TV show charade to out my secret but luckily it did not succeed."

"I am not sure how long Grant has been active, but as far as I know the clones do not last more than about six months and considering he has been an editor for over three, I would say he does not have long left. Unless of course, Lex has worked out a way of prolonging the longevity of them. "

"I overheard him talking to Lex and it looks like he has no clue about his origins." Clark explained.

"Should we tell him?"

"No, I don't think we should get involved with this charade. He may live for a long time yet and in complete ignorance of what he really is."

Lois and Chloe came downstairs to see Lana and Clark laughing and joking. "Can I have a quick word outside, Lois?" his face changed to a serious expression.

Lois was nervous. Was he dumping her for his ex-girlfriend? She got up and went with him.

"So she has won you back?" She said trying to make the break-up as easy as possible.

"No, of course not! " He cupped her chin and gently kissed her. "She took it well and so she should considering she is dating Bruce Wayne behind my back."

Lois's eyes got wider. "No way!"

"Yes, she is. I have known for months. Anyway back to us… nothing will come between us. I love you and I think I always have. I am sure we will have our ups and downs, but I am up for the ride, if you are."

Lois smiled. "Yes definetly as long as we do not ride the Clark-Lois rollercoaster."

"Did I not tell you, I don't like fast rides…. steady and smooth is my idea of heaven. Can you give me a few minutes?" he replied.

Lois nodded and waited in the car for him to join her. He showed her his ill-gotten gains. "I have tonight's show, so it looks like it will be cancelled."

"Do I embarrass you?" Lois smiled. "Do you not want to see our appearance?"

"You could never embarrass me. It's just I don't want our parents to see this. I think we should go and spend the winnings going to Washington to tell them both in person."

They drove off back to the farm to get packed for their first holiday together…..

THE END


End file.
